Bridle roll assemblage



Oct. 30, 1956 Filed April 14. 1952 FIGJ c. R. ROWE ET AL 2,768,542

BR IDLE ROLL ASSEMBLAGE 4 Sheets-Sheet l JINVENTORS cfiERL 32. Row ROBfiZRT B-0ULHS AT T RNEY Oct. 30, 1956 c. R. ROWE ET AL 2,768,542

BRIDLE ROLL ASSEMBLAGE Filed April 14, 1952 4 SheetS -Sheet 2 W R o Ef OB RT Bfou uis JBTT RNEY Filed April 14.1952

C. R. ROWE ET AL BRIDLE ROLL ASSEMBLAGE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 HIHHIIHIIIH" o o 25 o o IN V EN TORS ywgagb ATTORNEY 00L 1956 c. R. ROWE ET AL 2,768,542

BRIDLE ROLL ASSEMBLAGE Filed April 14. 1952 4 Sheets$heet 4 27' Zk-" N kw TI G INVENTORS 6 RL ZR-IR Q$BERT BFO mp5s 2,768,542 BRIDLE ROLL ASSEMBLAGE Carl R. Rowe, Opportunity, and Robert B. Foulks, Spo

kane, Wasln, assignors to Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation, Oakland, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Application April 14, 195d, Serial No. 282,234

3 Claims. (Cl. SO-&1)

This invention relates to bridle rolls or tension devices, associated with rolling mills, and employed as a means for engaging the strip metal prior to its entrance into the mill so as to maintain the proper tension on the strip metal while it is being fed to and worked by the mill.

More particularly, it is concerned with providing a novel bridle roll assemblage wherein the assemblage is provided with a novel adjustable lead roll on the forward end thereof or the end closest to the mill, together with novel means for operating this lead roll, so that the strip metal prior to its entry into the mill may be contacted by this lead roll and fed to the mill along a horizontal line, which coincides as nearly as possible with the horizontal pass line of the mill.

Various bridle roll assemblages have been developed in the past for tensioning the strip metal as it was fed to a rolling mill. However, these bridle roll assemblages were ordinarily so constructed that they did not properly feed the strip metal to the mill with the result that it would loop as it left the last roll of the bridle roll assemblage and enter the mill rolls at an angle to the pass line thereof. Various disadvantages are attendant in rolling strip metal when the strip enters the mill rolls at an angle, orwhen the angle of attack of the sheet, as

it approaches the mill, is off the horizontal pass line of the mill. The major disadvantage is that the sheet material as it is rolled becomes brighter on one side than on the other due to the fact that being directed to the mill at an angle, a slippage of one of the mill rolls occurs on one of the surfaces of the moving strip. Moreover, the amount of reduction given to the strip metal on each side is uneven, the side having the least amount of surface contact with the rolls having the greatest amount of reduction. Strip metal having one side brighter than the other is not commercially desirable except in special instances. The bridle roll assemblages of the past also have been so constructed that they were not always capable of being minutely adjusted with the result that they could not always feed the strip properly to the mill under all conditions.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a novel means for directing strip metal to a rolling mill, whereby the strip will be made to enter the mill along a horizontal pass line which coincides as nearly as possible with the horizontal pass line of the mill at all times.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel bridle roll assemblage wherein an adjustable lead roll is attached thereto in close proximity to the mill. This lead roll is adapted to contact the strip material as it is being fed to the mill in such a manner that it will direct the strip material to the mill along a horizontal line which coincides with the horizontal pass line of the mill.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel adjustable feed roll for a rolling mill together with novel means for adjusting this feed roll.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel bridle roll assemblage having an adjustable lead roll attached thereto in close proximity to a rolling mill which ice can be adjusted to a fine setting by means of a hand wheel, so that the sheet material being fed to the mill will always be fed in such a manner to the mill that it will be directed along a line which coincides as close as possible with the horizontal pass line of the rolling mill.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel feeding apparatus for a rolling mill, which is adapted to maintain the strip metal in proper alignment with the horizontal pass line of the mill as it is being worked by the mill, while simultaneously tensioning the strip metal during the time it is rolled in the mill.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a novel bridle roll apparatus which is simple in construction, efiicient in operation and capable of being readily installed adjacent a rolling mill.

These and various other objects and advantages will become more apparent from the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a broken plan view of the novel mill feeding apparatus of the instant invention;

Figure 2 is an end View in elevation of the apparatus shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the apparatus shown in Figure 2 when taken along lines 33 thereof,

Figure 4 is a sectional view of the apparatus shown in Figure 2 when taken along lines 4-4 thereof, and with parts omitted for the sake of clarity, and

Figure 5 is a sectional view of that portion of the apparatus shown in Figure 4 when taken along line 55 thereof and with certain elements being omitted for the sake of clarity.

Referring to the drawings and more particularly to Figures 1 and 2, the bridle roll feeding and tensioning apparatus of the instant invention is comprised of two bridle roll assemblages, namely, an upper bridle roll assemblage 2 and a lower bridle roll assemblage 3. These two cooperating bridle roll assemblages are suitably mounted within the upstanding framework 4, which is located closely adjacent the entry end of a rolling mill 5.

The lower assemblage of bridle rolls 3 in turn is located at the lower portion 6 of the framework 4, and is generally comprised of a plurality of horizontally aligned rolls 7. The rolls 7 of the lower bridle mill assemblage are suitably journaled between the side members 8 and 9 of frame 4. These side members may also be tied together by suitable means such as bridging members 10. Certain of these bridging members are in the form of rotatable screws 11 and 11' which are provided with sprocket wheels 12 and 12' respectively. Both of these sprocket wheels are connected by chains 13 and 13 to a shaft 14 driven by a suitable electric motor 15 of a reversible type mounted in the lower part of the framework 4 below the lower bridle roll assemblage. When the motor is driven in a predetermined direction, the various screws 11 and 11 will also be operated depending of course upon the direction of rotation of the motor in one direction or another, thereby adjusting the bridle roll apparatus to the width of strip material being fed to the mill by bringing the horizontal guide members 60 which are afiixed to the opposite ends of the screws, toward or away from one another. These guide members are provided with suitable openings 62 for the rolls 7 so that they may be moved axially of and longitudinally along the rolls.

A carriage 16 for the upper bridle roll assemblage, which is provided with a horizontal bridging member 17 and side members 18, is mounted for reciprocatory movement above the lower bridle roll assemblage 3 and between the side frame members 8 and 9. The rolls 40 for the upper bridle assemblage are suitably journaled 2,7es,542 V between these side members as indicated in Figures 3 and 4. The side members 18 of the carriage 16 may be roughly U-shaped in cross-section, as indicated in Figure 4, and have shoulders 19 and 20 which cooperate with and slidingly engage the angular bearing strips 18 secured to the shoulders 19 and 26' on the upstanding members 22, 23 and 24 which constitute portions of the side frame members 8 and 9. Since each side member 18 of the carriage 16 is constructed in a similar manner, a description of one side will be sufficient for both.

Pivotally attached to each side of the carrying frame 16, is a piston rod which operates in a hydraulic cylinder 31. These pistons are employed as the primary means for raising and lowering the carriage 16. The lower extremity of each of the piston rods 39 is pivotally attached at each side of carriage 16 by means of a pivot pin 33. The upper parts of hydraulic cylinder 31 are advantageously pivotally attached to a crossbar 32, suitably attached to the mill 5. Each pin 33, in addition to being journaled between the standards 34 attached to frame 16, also is journaled within the lower portions 35 of the bifurcated pivot arm 36, the other extremity of which is mounted upon the cross bar or pivot rod 37 attached to the upstanding side frame members 24.

Accordingly, when the upper bridle assemblage is raised or lowered by means of piston rods 36, it is guided in its vertical path of travel by means of the upright members 22, 23 and 24, pivot arms 36, and pivot rod 37. When the carriage 16 is moved downward, rollers 40 thereof cooperate with the rollers 7 of the lower bridle assemblage 3 to provide the proper tension on the strip material being fed to the mill as the strip 100 is threaded between the upper rollers 49 and the lower rollers 7. The sheet material as it progresses through the bride roll assemblage assumes a corrugated or wavy pattern as shown in Figure 3.

As indicated in Figure 3, the bridle roll feeding and tensioning apparatus may also be provided with a pair of bevel gears 25, one adjacent each side of the carriage 16. These bevel gears 25 are mounted on a horizontal shaft 25 suitably journaled to the upstanding framework 4. Each bevel gear 25 meshes with another bevel gear 89 which as indicated in Figure 5 is mounted at a transverse angle to bevel gear 25 and in turn is connected to a vertically projecting threaded screw 26, indicated in Figure 4, located within a side member 1%. Screw 26 is fitted within an interiorly threaded bushing 26 which is positioned vertically within the side member 18 and functions as an adjusting or stop means for accurately controlling the limit of downward travel of carriage 16. The base of bushing 26' is provided with a suitable flange 27 upon which the base of side member 18 may rest when carriage 16 is not in the lowermost position. Bushing 26' is suitably positioned within side member 18, as by means of keys, such that rotation of the bushing is prevented during rotation of the screw 26 while allowing the side member 18 to move upwardly or downwardly with respect to the bushing. The end of screw 26 which engages bushing 26 is further provided, as is clearly illustrated in Figure 5, with an integral flanged portion 81 which engages a support 81 to prevent longitudinal movement of the shaft 80 with respect to the upstanding member 23. Thus the bushing 26 during rotation of screw 26 moves longitudinally thereof and atfects movement of side member 18. Shaft 25 has a sprocket wheel thereon (not shown) which is connected by a chain 27, shown in Figure 2, to the shaft 28 for the handwheel 29. Thus, for example, where it is desired to position rolls 40 with respect to rolls 7 such that the axes of rolls 49 are in a horizontal plane above that of the axes of rolls 7, or in other words where it is desired to limit or shorten the maximum downward travel of carriage 16, handwheel 29 may be turned causing screw 26 to rotate and raise bushing 26. Then when carriage 16 is originally lowered, its downward movement will be stopped when the base of side members 13 contact the flanges 27' on bushings 26'. hould it be desired to alter the relative positions of rolls 7 and 40 after the original setting has been made, handwheel 29 may be turned in order to cause bushing 26' to move upwardly or downwardly, as the case may be, thereby raising or lowering carriage 16 and rolls 46'. In this way, fine adjustments can be made in positioning the rolls 40 of the upper bridle assemblagewith rolls '7 of the lower bridle assemblage.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, a cross member 42 is affixed to the forward end of the upper bridle roll assemblage 2. This cross member is provided with a. projecting arm 43 at eachend thereof and a pro'ecting arm 45 intermediate the ends thereof. Each arm 43, 45' has provided therein a horizontal aperture 46 for receiving a pivot rod 47 therethrough. The pivot rod 47 is journaled in arms 43, 45 and the opposite ends of the rod extend outwardly from arms 43. A carrier arm 44 is also associated with each projecting arm 53 and suitably journaled between each carrier arm 44 is the adjustable lead roll 46. Carrier arms 44 are rigidly affixed to the ends of the pivot rod 47. The arms 4-4 and pivot rod 47 thus comprise a generally yoke-like assembly. A pair of spaced arms 43 are also attached to the pivot rod 47 adjacent arm 45. Arms 48 are also pivotally attached by suitable means to a shaft bushing 50, located therebetween. Shaft bushing 50 has an aperture 51 therein. Mounted within the threaded aperture 51 of bushing 50 is the threaded extremity 51 of a handwheel shaft 52, the other end of which is attached to a handwheel 53. The middle section or portion of handwheel shaft 52 is also suspended within a second handwheel bushing 54, which is rigidly attached to the cross bar 17 for the upper bridle roll assemblage. By means of bushing 54 and cross bar 17 it is possible to keep the handwheel shaft 52 in its proper horizontal position at all times.

Accordingly, it will now be seen, as indicated in Figure 3, that when the carriage 16 is lowered, the rolls 40 placed between rolls 7 and the handwheel 53 rotated in a predetermined direction, the bushing 56 at the threaded end of shaft 52 will be moved forwards or backwards. When it is moved, for example, forwards, as indicated in the dotted lines in Figure 3, a counterclockwise movement will also be imparted to the arms 48 and pivot rod 47, whereupon the same movement will be transmitted from pivot rod 47 to carrier arms 44. The adjustable lead roller 46 will be moved into engagement with the strip material which has been pre viously threaded in a wavy manner between the rolls 40 and 7 of upper and lower bridle roll assemblages. Accordingly, the handwheel 53 is so adjusted that the lead roll 46 will be moved 'to the position indicated in heavy lines in Figure 3, thereby contacting the top surface of the moving strip and causing the strip to be fed to the mill along a horizontal line, which corresponds as nearly as possible with the horizontal pass line of the rolling mill. By means of this handwheel, it is possible, as indicated again in Figure 3, to adjust the position of the adjustable lead roll very minutely and accurately so that it will always assume the proper position with respect to the pass line of the mill and direct the moving strip properly to the mill, with the result that the strip may then be rolled with a minimum amount of surface imperfections and defects.

Other means besides a handwheel arrangement can be used for adjusting the lead roll 46. in addition, it is also within the contemplation of the invention that the adjustable lead roll or feed roll 46 be attached directly to the mill housing 5 or to the'upstanding framework 4 of the bridle roll feeding and tensioning apparatus instead of mounting it directly on a bridle roll assemblage, provided :of course that the adjustable roll be placed in a position close to the mill rolls and in between the mill rolls and fixed roll of a bridle roll assemblage that comes into contact with the strip. In such case, substantially the same linkage and handwheel arrangement as shown in Figure 3 could be used.

An advantageous embodiment of the invention has been herein disclosed and described. It is understood that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof as defined by the appended claims wherein what is claimed is:

1. In a bridling apparatus for use with a rolling mill, the combination of a pair of cooperating bridle roll assemblages, one of said assemblages being vertically adjustable, a lead roll pivotally mounted on the forward end of one of said assemblages closely adjacent said mill, means for pivotally mounting said lead roll upon said bridle roll assemblage on a horizontal axis and means for operating and pivoting said lead roll about said axis, and for setting said lead roll in a fixed position relative to said roll assemblages and said rolling mill whereby the strip material being fed to the said rolling mill can be contacted by the said lead roll and directed toward the mill along a horizontal line, which coincides with the horizontal pass line of the rolling mill.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said adjustable lead roll is afiixed to the bridle roll assemblage which is vertically adjustable.

3. In a bridling apparatus for use with a rolling mill,

the combination of a pair of adjustable cooperating bridle roll assemblages, a plurality of fixed rolls carried by each of said assemblages, a vertically adjustable lead roll carried by one :of said assemblages in vertically swingable relation with respect thereto and interposed between and set at a predetermined fixed position relative to the rolling mill and the fixed rolls of said assemblages that are closest to said rolling mill, said adjustable lead roll being mounted on yoke means vertically swingable'about a horizontal axis and adjustable independently of the other of said rolls fixed to said bridle roll assemblages, means for swinging said vertically swingable yoke means and said lead roll to alfect adjustment of said lead roll relative to said rolling mill, whereby strip metal being fed to the said mill can be directed along a desired horizontal line after its passage through said bridle roll assemblages which coincides as nearly as possible with the horizontal pass line of said rolling mill.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,488,583 Bain et al Apr. 1, 1924 2,078,711 Hudson Apr. 27, 1937 2,092,480 Talbot Sept. 7, 1937 2,250,541 Lessmann July 29, 1941 2,287,380 Klein June 23, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 540,979 Germany Jan. 23, 1932 

